Stuart Lancaster statement in full: England coach steps down following disastrous Rugby World Cup

The coach has left by mutual consent

(Getty Images)

Stuart Lancaster has stepped down as England coach following the disastrous showing at the Rugby World Cup.

Having been appointed on a full-time basis in April 2012, he oversaw 28 wins in 46 Tests.

Below is the statement from Lancaster released on the RFU's website...

“I am obviously extremely saddened to finish the way we did in this World Cup and to step down from the role. As I have always said, I ultimately accept and take responsibility for the team's performance and we have not delivered the results we all hoped for during this tournament. I did, however, want to take part in the review to ensure I understood the views of others before making a decision. The reality is that, while many aspects of the review were very positive, we didn’t achieve success on the field when it mattered and we all have to take responsibility for that but me especially as head coach.

“I took on the role in difficult circumstances and it has been a huge challenge to transition the team with many hurdles along the way. However, I am immensely proud of the development of this team and I know that there is an incredibly strong foundation for them to progress to great things in the future. We have played some excellent rugby and it was always going to be tough to get the right level of experience into them in time for 2015. It is a young group of players with the huge majority available for the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019, where I believe their recent experience will make them genuine contenders.”

The RFU has said the recruitment process for a new head coach begins "immediately".